Make Me Feel Alive
by BregoArodShadowfax
Summary: All Marius wanted was a place for himself and a chance to live life on his own terms. Ending up in the middle of a greed-fueled kidnapping plot was never part of the plan. Enjolras/Marius, modern!AU, Amis-centric.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Make Me Feel Alive  
**Author:** AoiTsukikage  
**Rating:** T for now, may increase  
**Characters/Pairing:** Enjolras/Marius primarily, other secondary pairings  
**Chapters:** Prologue/?  
**Word Count:** 1589  
**Summary:** All Marius wanted was a place for himself and a chance to live life on his own terms. Ending up in the middle of a greed-fueled kidnapping plot was never part of the plan. Enjolras/Marius, modern!AU, Amis-centric.

**Prologue**

It only dawned on him after he'd come up from the subway station, duffel bag slung over his shoulder and a set of half-rusted keys in his hand, that perhaps moving in to his new place at sunset wasn't the greatest idea in the world. He knew going in that the neighborhood was, well, not ideal (okay, he didn't know why he was bothering to sugar-coat it, the neighborhood was a dive and his new place was a shithole but he didn't have a whole lot of options).

He walked up the cracked front steps of the apartment building, glancing up at the imposing façade (if only imposing because it looked like it might come down at any moment) before reaching for the door. A slight murmur to his side made him pause, looking over to the neighboring stoop where four men were lounging, and he bit his lip and tried to avert his eyes, peeking up just enough to take them all in.

One was fairly nondescript, one looked like he could probably break a man's arm just by grabbing hold of it, one was half-hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see his face, and the fourth looked far too young and, well, pretty to be hanging out with the rest of them, a frown on his lips as he listened to his comrades, obviously displeased with something.

It was that man that looked over, meeting his eye, and he gasped and quickly tried the key in the door, getting it open after a few jiggles and slipping inside what he guessed was the lobby. It was really just an empty space, a few opened and rusted mailboxes lining the one wall, and there was a chugging sound from around the corner that he was going to assume was the washing machine.

He looked at the elevator, pressing the button and getting no response but a horrible, building-shaking _creak _that made him back away with a start.

"It doesn't work."

"Huh?" he turned around quickly, seeing a young girl…well, maybe not that young, she might have been only a couple of years younger than him, but she was thin and wearing ragged clothing, a hat perched atop of her matted hair and her skin streaked with dirt.

"The elevator. It's never worked. Not since my family moved in, anyway. We've talked to the landlord about it but I don't think he cares. You're on the third floor?" her questions came rapidly and without much regard to carrying on one thread of thought, but he felt like he should answer regardless.

"Yes, I'm just moving in," he replied, hefting his bag to emphasize his point, and she smiled thinly at him, head cocked to the side as if she were trying to discern something about him.

"Well. I suppose we'll be seeing a lot of each other, then. My family lives on the first floor," she jerked her head toward the stairs and the man groaned because just from that, he realized that apparently the lobby didn't count as a floor and he was looking at a trek of at least three flights of stairs every time he wanted to leave or enter the building. "Is that all you have?" she pointed to the bag.

"For now. I'm storing some things with my old roommate until I'm more settled, but the person I talked to said that there was furniture and appliances…" he paused, because now looking around he wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good thing.

"We had one bed, an old couch, and a fridge and stove that barely worked, but maybe you'll have better luck," she shrugged her thin shoulders and moved closer, staring up at him and blinking rapidly. "There's a guy who lives below you, he won't give you any trouble," she blurted out of nowhere and Marius thought he should be thankful for that information. "He's nice. I hope you're nice. My father's not very nice. Neither is my mother. I have to look after my sister and brother," she was pouting now and he felt a pang of sympathy for the girl because it was obvious she had nothing to do with how her family had ended up, and for as poor as he was right now, it was completely his choice to cut himself off from his family's money.

Going to law school for a couple of years had been interesting, sure, but it was hardly his passion and after realizing that his grandfather expected him to pay back all of his schooling money he knew that he couldn't live off of that anymore. So he'd moved out of his dorm and into a place with a classmate of his; it was fine enough although his…he supposed they were friends, for what it was worth…but his _friend_ was always running off to meet with other people and he never seemed to be invited.

He'd gotten a job doing basic data entry at a tiny publishing house in the neighborhood, mostly because he could translate things from French and German (and he was thankful he'd taken language classes in high school because that might have saved his hide) and because nobody who valued their personal safety would work in this area of town, but it paid enough for the rent on this place.

And it felt good, to be free, to be his own man, even though his life had all but fallen apart and his post-high-school dreams of marrying the girl he'd fallen in love with and supporting their family with a job at a respected law firm had blown up with surprising speed (as far as he knew, at least, they were still friends ,but he might have had to learn the hard way that fairytale romance and love at first sight are impossible concepts and especially with where he is now, he could hardly have a girlfriend).

"Mister?" the girl waved in front of his face and he came to his senses, blinking and smiling at her. "Do you want me to take you upstairs? It's no trouble," she paused as a frightful crash came from the landing above them. "My parents are probably fighting again. It's an excuse not to go home," she reached to grab his hand and he stumbled after her, letting her lead him up the winding stairs. They passed the second floor suite and the door looked intact and clean, at least, although there were some stains in front of it that he decided he didn't want to know about, and one flight of stairs later reached the top floor. "Here," she gestured grandly and he nodded in thanks, unlocking the door and taking a deep breath before pushing it open.

The inside…was clean. Cleaner than he'd expected, anyway, and while the kitchen, living area and bedroom were only separated by what looked like hanging shower curtains (he was going to assume for now that the only other door led to the bathroom), there was a _lot _of floorspace.

"It looks way nicer than mine. But then, my parents kind of break everything. That's probably why. It was nice to meet you!"

He was starting to get used to her seemingly random thought-processes and nodded in reply, trying not to show just how sorry he was because he had the feeling she might not appreciate pity.

"Likewise. I hope we see more of each other, Mss…"

She giggled, sticking her hand out and grinning when he took it. "Eponine. Eponine Thenardier," she replied, and he inclined his head politely. "And you? I can't very well keep on calling you 'Mister' all the time."

"Oh," he blushed and laughed, scratching the back of his neck. "My name is Marius Pontmercy."

"Marius. That's a pretty name," she shook his hand firmly before slipping away, waving over her shoulder and disappearing like a wraith into the darkness of the hallway.

Marius watched her slink into the shadows, hearing the stairs creak as she made her way back down to the first floor, and quickly closed and locked his door before scouting around the open space. He dropped his bag off beside the bed, crossing to the grimy window and rubbing a patch of it with his sleeve so he could peer out.

The men that had been on the neighboring stoop were still there, still in discussion, until at some unknown signal they all headed off in different directions and were lost to the night. One flickering streetlight out in front of the building buzzed a few times and then went dark, the street empty now with the impending nightfall.

All in all it was a bleak and unfriendly scene that he would wake up to every morning and go to bed to every night, but it was a scene he could afford, at the very least. He walked back to the bed and sat down, the ancient frame creaking even under his slight weight, but the sheets were crisp and clean and the blanket looked warm. The refrigerator hummed along happily from the kitchen, the living room had a television that looked old but maybe still worked, the bathroom after a cursory check had an intact shower and toilet, and he thought he could get used to living here.

At least he wasn't out on the street or crawling back to his grandfather in shame, he thought as he lay back against the pillow and sighed.

He had to be thankful for that.

**Notes:**

**1. **So, this is the new fic I was talking about. It's definitely going to be darker in tone although personally I find it impossible to write anything without a happy ending, so you can take some comfort in that, I hope? I've got four chapters of this written at the moment so posting should be fairly regular provided my muse for this story doesn't go away, but I've got most of it planned out already.

**2. **I love feedback, and I try to reply on every review I get so don't be afraid to comment :)

**3. **If you haven't read my fics from this fandom before, I have a lot of love for all of the _Amis _so expect most of them to play a fairly major role in this fic. And I think that's about it, so let me know what you thought of the beginning and the main plot will be explained in the next chapter.


	2. Chapter 1

**Title:** Make Me Feel Alive  
**Author:** AoiTsukikage  
**Rating:** T for now, may increase  
**Characters/Pairing:** Enjolras/Marius primarily, other secondary pairings  
**Chapters:** 1/?  
**Word Count:** 3001  
**Summary:** All Marius wanted was a place for himself and a chance to live life on his own terms. Ending up in the middle of a greed-fueled kidnapping plot was never part of the plan. Enjolras/Marius, modern!AU, Amis-centric.

**Chapter One**

He didn't have to work in the morning, which was a small blessing when he was still woken up by his phone shrieking rather unhappily at him and he fumbled with it until he managed to turn it off and groaned before throwing the covers back and standing upright.

The morning sun did little to brighten the place up; in fact, it looked even barer and lonelier in the daylight, but he didn't plan on doing a whole lot of interior decorating so he'd have to get used to it.

Deciding that maybe he should get dressed and scout out the neighborhood (and perhaps buy a few staples to fill his bare cupboards, and maybe some breakfast if there was a coffee shop in the area), he walked quickly over to the bathroom and was surprised that the water pressure in the shower was more than acceptable and the water was, if not hot, at least warm.

He still showered quickly in case it ran out on him unexpectedly and got dressed, pulling his overcoat on and buttoning it against the chilly autumn morning before pocketing his wallet and phone and heading out.

The second floor tenant was still apparently not around, or at least not making themselves known, and the stains in front of their door were just as disconcerting in the light so Marius side-stepped the patch of stained floor and rushed down to the first level, pushing out onto the street and looking around to get his bearings.

"So you're the new boy."

Marius started and almost tripped over his own feet, looking around wildly before his eyes came to rest on a man lounging lazily against the building, a lit cigarette clasped casually between two fingers and his eyes covered by a cap.

"Ex-excuse me?"

"Top floor, right?" the man looked up and Marius took a step back involuntarily because there was no doubt that, if he chose to, he could do some major physical damage and Marius wouldn't even be able to fend him off. "You don't look like what I expected."

"Ex-expected? I…rent was cheap, so I…" he fumbled through his words, because he had the distinct feeling that he was _missing something really important _although for the life of him he couldn't even begin to imagine what that might be.

"Poor kid," the man clicked his tongue sympathetically, his eyes softening a fraction. He was, Marius thought, somewhere near thirty, and had the look of a man who knew how to take care of himself. His hair where it was peeking out from under his cap was reddish-brown and his eyes were a rather vibrant shade of green, and Marius didn't get the impression that he wanted to hurt him. Not really.

"I beg your pardon?" he squeaked instead and the man clapped his arm and jerked his head toward the nearby building, where Marius could see the young man from the night before was standing on the stoop again and staring at them rather fixedly.

"Come on. We'll talk over coffee," he man tugged his arm and Marius opened his mouth to protest. "Unless you'd rather have Montparnasse stare at you all day."

"That's his name?" Marius realized the question was stupid but he followed the older man willingly, holding his coat tight around himself until they'd reached a coffee shop a couple of blocks away. The streets were brighter here, the buildings newer, the clientele looked to be a mix of business-people and students, and Marius stared in wonder that this place could be so close to the shithole he now called home.

The man he was with grabbed a newspaper on the way in, staring at the headline before muttering something about, 'they're in too fucking deep this time' and all but dragging Marius to the counter. Marius was still a little overwhelmed but he managed to order a drip coffee and a muffin without stammering over his words too much, and soon enough he was seated at a table in the back corner with the stranger across from him.

"So. An explanation of sorts, for you who is _also_ in too fucking deep and has no idea. Am I right?"

"I…" Marius started, because he must _really _be missing something important. "I don't…"

"Look, kid, you seem nice, and way out of your league. I can tell you're used to having money and that for whatever reason you picked this place but just by moving in there you've caught yourself up in something that no self-respecting person wants to be involved in," he looked deadly serious and Marius gulped, not sure how to take that.

"I'm…I still…"

"Sorry. God, I'm not good with the whole babying thing. My name's Bahorel," the man held out his hand and Marius shook it tentatively.

"M-Marius. Pontmercy."

"No shit," the man's eyes gleamed with interest. "Fuck, I never believed in destiny, but this is too good."

"You…um…know me?"

"Not important, and not my division. Somebody else will handle that one," he waved it off as if having a virtual stranger tell you they knew who you were happened to everybody all the time. "Anyway, Marius, you're in danger. If you haven't guessed yet, the guys that live across from you and the family that lives on the first floor…they're bad news. Criminals, petty thieves, but they're planning something…much bigger, and a respectable young man like yourself who looks nothing like a vagabond is too good of a chance to pass up."

"I'm so lost right now," Marius dropped his head into his hands because he really, really was. He thought moving away from his grandfather and the life that had been pre-conceived for him would make things _easier, _not more difficult.

"I know, but you need to know this before any of them get to you. Because one of them will, and just by moving into that building you're already involved by association. So either you choose to help them, which you wouldn't have done without me telling you to, or they'd find a way to make you disappear," he _was _serious and Marius shivered without meaning to because no, he definitely wouldn't have agreed to anything less than legal otherwise.

"But I don't…I don't want to…"

"You won't," Bahorel assured him in an undertone. "Trust me. All they'll want you to do is get close to somebody, somebody that you might already know of. So when they ask you, agree, and then we'll handle the rest when you're a little more…settled," he grinned and Marius didn't think he'd _ever _be okay with this, but it wasn't as if he had a choice right now.

"Okay. Fine. Can you tell me what's going on because I'm still so confused," he dropped his head into his hands and Bahorel poked his shoulder in response.

"Eat your muffin. I can't be seen talking to you for very long because as far as they know I'm a free agent," he leaned back and crossed his legs, and Marius looked up in surprise.

"But, I mean, isn't that dangerous?"

"Not when everybody knows it. I'm safe because I have more connections than possibly anybody in the city, and I have a lot of friends, so if something were to happen to me…well, let's just say whoever did it wouldn't get away with it," he looked entirely unconcerned that his apparent safety was completely dependent upon his usefulness, and Marius still was wondering how he'd managed to apparently step into the script for some sort of thriller movie because all of this was absurd.

"So you can't tell me anything."

"Not yet. Look, you'll meet somebody this afternoon…wait for the signal, and then you'll learn more," he stood up and Marius scrambled to his feet as well, cramming the muffin in his mouth and grabbing his coffee.

"What's the signal?" he mumbled through a mouthful of crumbs.

"You'll know it," Bahorel replied with a surety as he opened the door and hastened Marius out onto the street, pointing him back in the direction of the apartment and heading the other way.

Marius didn't get much of a chance to say goodbye, but then, somehow he knew that they'd be seeing each other again.

Whether that was good or not, he had no idea.

000

He spent the rest of the day pacing his large loft, almost waiting for somebody to jump him and demand he go along with their plans or he'd be a corpse before morning, but the place was quiet. He was still on the fence as to whether he believed Bahorel, but then, he supposed he'd find out one way or the other soon enough.

And no way was he slinking back to his grandfather, so he had to see this through.

Well, he thought, he wanted some excitement and a new life, and he was definitely getting it.

It was around four in the afternoon when he heard the sound, and he pushed open the window leading to the fire escape and stuck his head out, tilting it upward toward the rooftop. There was music coming from up there, and that was as good of a sign as any, so he headed out into the hall and took the stairs going up that he hadn't bothered to notice the night before.

They led up to a door that he pushed open to reveal an open rooftop, barren except for a few scattered beer bottles and cigarette butts and two old lawn chairs set up near the rooftop edge overlooking the city.

One of the chairs was occupied by a figure plucking at an acoustic guitar, which had been what Marius had heard. They weren't playing anything in particular, just strains of various melodies that all blended into one, and Marius' shoes crunched on the roof loudly enough that the man stopped his strumming and looked up.

"Marius."

"Yeah," Marius took a few steps forward, not stopping until he had seated himself in the other chair, and looked over at his companion for the first time.

All things considered, he was a lot less intimidating than Bahorel, and as he reached out to shake Marius' hand Marius noticed that he was wearing fingerless gloves despite the weather still being warm. His clothing had obviously seen better days and he looked badly in need of a haircut; his shaggy, sandy-blond hair was hanging in front of his face and he sighed irritably and swooped it out of the way as best he could. His eyes were a deep blue, and something about them exuded a type of quiet confidence and self-assuredness that Marius knew he himself had never possessed.

"I'm your downstairs neighbor," the man said by way of greeting and Marius let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding because, well, at least the man didn't look like he'd kill him in his sleep. "And before you ask, that stain in front of the door is not from a murder scene. It's paint," he smiled and Marius found himself smiling back, albeit timidly. "My name's Feuilly."

The name kind of stirred something in Marius' mind but he shrugged it off because, well, he was pretty sure he'd never met this guy before, and Feuilly leaned over his guitar and stared out at the city for a bit.

"So. Bahorel told you that you're knee-deep in this clusterfuck whether you want to be or not, huh?"

"Yeah, and I'm still not really sure what to think about that," Marius muttered, hearing the other man chuckle softly.

"Well, don't worry about it. I know the plan and it's…it's dangerous, and somebody's going to get hurt, but it's not going to be you. Bahorel might have the luxury of working both sides without consequence but I'm the one that'll take the bullet if it comes to it."

"You're…what? A double-agent?" the words sounded ridiculous because _this wasn't some spy movie _but Feuilly nodded, a wry smile on his lips.

"In a manner of speaking. I was here before _Patron-Minette _moved in, and I'd planned to be here after, but this…they're going too far. Turning a blind eye to small thefts and telling the police I knew nothing I could handle, but they've gotten greedy and somebody has to put a stop to it. Have you met the downstairs tenants yet?" he asks and Marius nods.

"I've met Eponine."

"Poor girl. Her father's the ringleader, him and those guys that hang out next door all the time, and they've somehow found out that Bahorel and I have connections with people who happen to have a lot of money. A _lot _of money," he emphasized, and pulls out the same newspaper that Bahorel had been peering at in the coffee shop.

The front page was a picture of a rather severe-looking older man and his equally stern wife, and pictured on an inset was quiet possibly the most stunning man Marius had ever laid eyes on, bright golden hair and sky-blue eyes and pale skin, and it wasn't until he read the caption that the pieces started to slot together in his head. "Wait, that's…"

"It's a giant coincidence is what it is," Feuilly said softly, and he laid a comforting hand on Marius' arm. "You were Courfeyrac's roommate for a while."

"You know…"

"Mm. Yeah, you could say I know him," Feuilly replied vaguely. "But I'm guessing you weren't close enough that he talked about…"

"I've heard the name Enjolras. Everybody has. That family has possibly the most money and own the most buildings in the city. I knew that Courfeyrac knew their son, but…I've never met him," Marius bit his lip and thought back to his roommate. Courfeyrac had always been nice to him, but Marius had mostly felt like he was intruding when the other man talked about these friends that Marius never seemed to see for himself.

"Well, you're about to, because he's their target."

"They want…"

"To kidnap him and force his parents to pay them a whole bunch of money," Feuilly supplied.

"So why not just go to the police?" Marius asked honestly, because that would make everything a lot easier. "I mean, if they're conspiring to kidnap…"

"You were a law student, huh?" Feuilly smiled at him. "Yeah, that would be the obvious method, but we've really got no proof right now other than their word and they'd know pretty quickly who ratted them out. And I'm planning on getting out of this with all of my limbs intact so that's not an option. Plus, you know, I'm not…exactly a model citizen," he sounded weary and Marius looked at him suspiciously, wondering what he meant.

"Trust me, Marius, I've been damn near living on the streets my entire life, and sometimes in order to survive I had to…do things that I'm not proud of. But that's all I'm saying about it," his tone was firm and Marius wasn't quite sure he wanted to know.

"So. Um. Kidnapping, you say?"

"Mm. Thenardier's greedy, and his lackeys will go along with any plan so long as there's money involved. Word is he and his wife used to own some motel in town and made most of their money swindling customers, but when the police started sniffing around there they abandoned it and I guess decided that stealing was a better way to survive than making an honest living. Well, semi-honest. So they're hoping that they can bribe the Enjolras family out of a lot of money, and they're probably right. Enjolras and his parents have a…complicated relationship, but he's the sole heir to the company name, so his safety is important to them. He's heavily guarded almost all the time, even when he's at school, so…" he paused and Marius realized where this was going.

"So you need somebody that also has a good family name and connections to befriend him because they wouldn't suspect me," he sighed and wrapped his arms around his knees, staring out at the city as Feuilly strummed something out on his guitar. "I mean, I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"I don't like telling you this, but no. All I can say to reassure you is that you're not going to be in any danger, and if everything goes to shit I'll do my best to warn you. Like I said, I'm the one in the line of fire here," he smiled wryly and Marius sighed and nodded.

"So you're not loyal to…"

"No. Maybe I'm not loyal to anybody, but if it came down to it, I'm siding with Enjolras. And so is Bahorel, even if he's already told you that he's some sort of free agent," he laughed and Marius had to smile because at least they knew each other well enough to know that.

"So…"

"So just…live normally. One of them will come to you with the plan sooner or later…probably sooner…and just…nod and agree and do _not _mention anything about this to anybody but Bahorel or myself. And then the first thing we've gotta do is get you in contact with Courfeyrac…"

"That's easy enough. I still have some of my things at his place so I need to pick them up," Marius suggested and Feuilly looked encouraged at that, his arms holding the guitar close to him as he leaned forward a little more.

"Perfect. I need to go, but if you need anything don't be afraid to knock on my door, and if you're in need of dinner there's a pizza place a couple of blocks that way that might be the best in the city," Feuilly stood up and clapped Marius on the shoulder, nodding at him, and Marius raised his hand in a farewell wave as the man left the rooftop.

Well, he thought as he leaned back and let the wind ruffle his hair, this had been an interesting day.

And apparently this was only the beginning.

**Notes:**

**1. **Yes, there is now plot. I have no idea where this storyline came from but it kind of popped into my head one day and since I've now got about 12,000 words of this fic written it was obviously one I had a lot of inspiration for.

**2. **If you read my other fic that I posted recently you might have noticed that I didn't really include physical descriptions of any of the characters but this time I decided to change that a bit. My head!canon versions of these guys aren't from any particular production and certainly not from the movie since I kind of came up with them when I started writing fic for this fandom seven or so years ago. So that's where that comes from.

**3. **If you have questions or comments or just want to chat or anything, feel free hit me up at my tumblr which is at klainejolras dot tumblr dot com :)


	3. Chapter 2

**Title:** Make Me Feel Alive  
**Author:** AoiTsukikage  
**Rating:** T for now, may increase  
**Characters/Pairing:** Enjolras/Marius primarily, other secondary pairings  
**Chapters:** 2/?  
**Word Count:** 2166  
**Summary:** All Marius wanted was a place for himself and a chance to live life on his own terms. Ending up in the middle of a greed-fueled kidnapping plot was never part of the plan. Enjolras/Marius, modern!AU, Amis-centric.

**Chapter Two**

He couldn't say he was entirely surprised to see people with…interesting fashion sense hanging around outside the building, but the man currently standing there shuffling his feet was entirely another breed of 'interesting' and Marius spent a good few moments just staring at him.

The street was deserted otherwise, the city quieting down in the time it had taken him to go and get pizza (although he had to thank Feuilly for the suggestion because it had been amazing) and he was clutching the container with the leftover pieces in his hand, wondering if it was best to approach the stranger or try and slip around him.

He was wearing what essentially looked like a poncho over a pair of leggings, complete with nearly knee-high boots that hugged his lanky legs and a satchel thrown over his shoulder, and he was staring at Marius' apartment building like it was going to give him some sort of answers.

"Um…" Marius cleared his throat before he could stop himself, taking a step forward and clearing it again when the man seemingly ignored him. "Can I help you?"

"Hmm?" the man turned, tilting his head to the side and blinking at Marius and the other man studied him now that he was looking at him directly. His light brown hair was rather artfully swept up and his eyes were the color of rich chocolate; there was something undeniably innocent and unguarded in his gaze and Marius knew that he wasn't from this area of town.

In fact, he was willing to bet _he_ probably looked like that less than a day ago, but he felt like he'd aged ten years in that time. "C-can I help you?" he repeated, and then for good measure added, "Are you lost?"

"I don't think so…" he mused, his voice lilting and mild, and he tapped his chin before shifting his bag higher onto his shoulder. "Do you live here?"

"Yes," Marius nodded. "I, um…are you looking for somebody…"

"Jehan, for fuck's sake, I told you not to come here!" Feuilly darted out of the entrance, wearing all black and looking far fiercer than he had earlier on the rooftop, and he grabbed the strange man's hand and yanked him in, nodding at Marius to follow.

"Can we go to yours? Mine's kind of a mess right now," he called over his shoulder and Marius shrugged in agreement, passing them as they climbed the stairs and unlocking his suite as Feuilly ushered the man inside and locked the door firmly behind them. "Why are you here?"

"Bahorel told me…"

"Of course he did. Jehan, you have to leave. I mean, you need to stay the night, because I'm not sending you out there alone again, but _you have to leave," _he emphasized and the other man looked slightly put-out.

"You're never around anymore and I just wanted to say hello. I don't see what's wrong with that," he sounded almost petulant and Marius stuffed the pizza in his fridge before clearing his throat and turning around.

"Right, introductions," Feuilly looked a little chagrined that he seemed to have forgotten basic manners in light of his outburst. "Jehan, this is Marius Pontmercy."

"Wait, Courfeyrac's old roommate Marius?" Jehan looked at him with a kind smile before moving across the floor and holding out his hand.

"Yeah, the same one. Kind of a downgrade in accommodations, huh?" he laughed and scratched the back of his head, shaking Jehan's hand with his free one.

"No, not at all! There's so much history and inspiration and _art _here! It's magnificent," Jehan spun around and stared up at the ceiling as Feuilly chuckled.

"Jehan's a poet. He can find things to write about anywhere," he explained before walking beside Marius. "Jehan Prouvaire, his family's damn near as rich as Enjolras' and if any of _Patron-Minette _find out he's around here I'm worried for his safety," he said in an undertone while Jehan was still looking around in awe, and Marius had to concede that point.

"Is he…"

"Trust me, he's far more aware than he looks and he's able to take care of himself, but he's got such a pure soul that I'd rather he stayed out of this altogether," he added, and Marius could see that as well.

"Are you whispering about me?" Jehan didn't look insulted at all as he crossed the floor to where they were standing, but Marius felt guilty all the same.

"I'm sorry I was short with you before, but this…isn't the best neighborhood, Jehan, and you should really know better than to take anything Bahorel says as a good idea," Feuilly chided gently.

"I know, but I was telling the truth when I said I missed you. We all do. And Courfeyrac talks about you a lot," he added, turning to Marius. "So if you're making me stay the night, the least you could do is come with me tomorrow to breakfast with him…" he was smiling, just a little, but Marius could already see that Jehan was far shrewder than he'd given him credit for.

"I…yeah, I can agree to that," Feuilly agreed.

"And I have some things I need to pick up from Courfeyrac's anyway, so I'm in," Marius spoke up, looking around his place because he had no idea where Jehan was going to sleep unless Feuilly had a hidden guest bedroom.

"Excellent! Oh, I hate imposing, but, um…" Jehan seemed to know exactly what Marius had just been thinking about and Feuilly sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Like I said, my place is a mess. I paint. A lot," he said to Marius. "And sometimes that means a lot of paint everywhere, so it's probably safer for Jehan to not risk things getting all over his clothing," he added and even though Marius thought that, looking at Jehan's clothes, it wouldn't really be a _loss, _he couldn't really say that. "Your couch pulls out, I think," he said, gesturing, and Marius felt kind of stupid for not realizing that before, but hey, problem solved!

"Oh, good," Jehan promptly busied himself with getting the cushions off the couch, humming snatches of random tunes, and Feuilly turned to Marius apologetically and spread his hands.

"I'm really sorry about this, you've probably had enough for one day and now…"

"It's fine," Marius promised, because for as…eccentric as Jehan seemed to be, he was certainly not dangerous, and it might be nice just knowing there was another person in that big empty dark space with him. "We'll see you in the morning?"

"Yeah," Feuilly inclined his head and went to help Jehan pull the sofa-bed out, looking a little uncomfortable when Jehan hugged him goodnight but Marius could see him relax into it for the briefest of moments before he backed away and left the room.

"Um," Marius started when he realized they were both kind of just staring at each other. "Do you want something to drink? I don't have much, but I can make tea, if you want?"

"That would be lovely, thank you," Jehan sat down on the edge of the bed and bounced a little to test the mattress. "I'm really sorry you have to put up with me."

"No trouble," Marius assured him, and he knew it wasn't really going to be. "I hope you're not expecting anything fancy because I've got like teabags of Earl Grey," he admitted with a laugh, putting some water in the microwave to heat because, well, he didn't have a teapot either.

"It's fine. I know Feuilly probably told you that I'm…my parents are ridiculously wealthy but, you know, artist," he pointed to himself as if that explained everything, and while Marius didn't really have that much creativity himself he could see why the whole bohemian-lifestyle thing might seem romantic to people who didn't have to experience it for themselves. That or Jehan's spent too much time watching RENT, which was also a possibility.

So he just made a vague noise of agreement and stuck the bags into their mugs once the microwave went off, letting them steep for a few minutes before he brought one over to Jehan.

"Thanks. So. Is there a reason you lived with Courfeyrac for all those months and yet none of us ever met you?" he looked curious and not at all accusatory, but Marius didn't have a good answer to that question.

"I just…school. Family troubles. It always seemed like all of you had something…going on, and I didn't want to intrude so it was easier to stay out of it altogether," he figured that was as close to the truth as he was going to get, and the other man nodded in apparent understanding.

"Well, I'm sure it would have been fine. And he does miss you," he stated.

"I've barely been gone!"

"You know Courfeyrac," Jehan shrugged.

"Yeah. I think it's safe to say I do," Marius admitted, taking a sip of the tea and conceding that it was acceptable, at least. Courfeyrac was a bit of a conundrum, because he was by far the biggest flirt Marius had ever met in his life and yet, at the same time, was so genuinely nice and cared deeply about the well-being of his friends. And, Marius thought, they _were _friends. Maybe not best friends, yet, but they'd gotten along perfectly and despite the fact that Courfeyrac liked to bring…guests to stay the night, he'd always been fairly respectful about it and they were always gone by the time Marius had woken up.

"Then you'll know. He wants to keep tabs on you because, like I said, he does like you," Jehan was telling the truth, Marius knew, and maybe the knowledge that somebody _did _truly miss him was the reason for the smile on his face and the warmth inside his chest that the words provoked.

"I'll…yeah, I know that it probably seems like I took off without any explanation, and in a way I guess I did, but I needed to for my own life," he was staring at the inside of his mug and only looked up when he felt a gentle hand land on his knee. Jehan was gazing at him with a sad smile on his face and there was so much hidden wisdom in his eyes that Marius was taken aback for a moment. Not that he had any reason to doubt Feuilly, but he knew without question now that just because Jehan seemed a little flighty and disconnected, there was certainly far more to him than met the eye.

"There's no shame in that. But just because you're moving forward, doesn't mean you can't keep the best parts of your old life with you," he pulled back then and went back to sipping at his tea. "Speaking of, can I ask you a question?"

"I might not have an answer, but yes," Marius said carefully.

"How long have you known Feuilly?"

"Um, about…four hours?" he laughed because yeah, that sounded bad considering they were already treating each other like good friends, but Marius knew that with the…situation he'd found himself in, he had to trust his gut when it came to trusting people, and there was nothing about Feuilly that struck him as anything other than honest. And if he was friends with Courfeyrac, that was good enough for Marius, too. "Why?"

"I'm not…so air-headed that I'd just wander into this part of town on a whim," Jehan replied, running his finger around the inside of his mug. "Feuilly used to be around nearly all the time, whenever we'd meet up for coffee or at a bar or anything, really, but the last couple of months he hasn't been there at all. I mean…you know who Bahorel is?"

"Yeah," Marius nodded.

"He's…he jumps from group to group and it's not unusual for him to disappear for days or weeks at a time, but he's been around more than Feuilly and I finally cornered him and asked if he knew where Feuilly lived because I had to see for myself. And yes, that was stupid, but my parents, for all their wealth, have never paraded me around so I thought I'd be safe enough," he looked a little embarrassed but Marius couldn't blame him.

"So you came to make sure he was okay?"

"Partly. And partly just to…you know. Make sure he was _safe, _at least, because he's one of the most private people I've ever met. But I guess if you just met him you wouldn't know," he looked disappointed and Marius had to try really hard to keep his mouth shut because, well, he was pretty sure he _did _know why Feuilly was keeping his distance from the others.

But he couldn't say, so he just smiled and mumbled something about 'I'm sure he's fine', and wondered how many more lies he'd have to tell before this whole thing was done with.

**Notes:**

**1. **So next chapter we finally meet Enjolras. I know it's probably seemed like a long time coming, but the exposition would not stop and I just decided to run with it and let it take me where it would, since normally I think I jump into the action too quickly when I'm writing fics. Anyway, next chapter, I promise :)

**2. **I'm about halfway through chapter six writing this fic so updates should be fairly regular for the next little while, at least! Thanks to all those that have commented so far, and for my anonymous reviewer, yes, things are definitely going to get complicated ;)


	4. Chapter 3

**Title:** Make Me Feel Alive  
**Author:** AoiTsukikage  
**Rating:** T for now, may increase  
**Characters/Pairing:** Enjolras/Marius primarily, other secondary pairings  
**Chapters:** 3/?  
**Word Count:** 3018  
**Summary:** All Marius wanted was a place for himself and a chance to live life on his own terms. Ending up in the middle of a greed-fueled kidnapping plot was never part of the plan. Enjolras/Marius, modern!AU, Amis-centric.

**Chapter Three**

"Why did you disappear without saying anything do you have any idea how _worried _I was?!" was how Courfeyrac greeted him before bodily embracing him, and Marius hugged him back gratefully and let himself rest in the other man's arms for probably longer than was socially acceptable.

He knew Courfeyrac wouldn't care, and after the last couple of days, having somebody hold him was something he needed kind of desperately. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Fucking right you shouldn't have," Courfeyrac pulled back and held him at arm's length. He really was an uncommonly handsome man, Marius thought idly; his dark hair was always artfully mussed and his eyes were a rather unusual shade of grey that seemed to change color when he was happy or excited. "You haven't answered my texts, either, I was worried sick."

"I…oh," Marius laughed nervously because in all honestly, besides using it for an alarm he'd barely looked at his phone since he'd moved. And it was probably close to dying at this point, so he should really fix that once he got back.

"And you," Courfeyrac kept his hands on Marius' shoulders and turned to Feuilly, who stood up a little straighter and blinked slowly. "We need to talk."

"We don't need to talk," Feuilly muttered, turning his eyes away. "Trust me, we don't need to talk."

Courfeyrac looked hurt at that but he moved his arm around Marius' shoulders and steered him into the café they'd met up at for breakfast.

"You're doing okay, though? You know you could have just stayed with me at my place…"

"No, I needed somewhere I could actually afford the rent and live on my own. I'm fine," Marius promised, although by the time they'd reached their table Courfeyrac had broken down his resolve enough that Marius was letting him take care of paying for breakfast.

Things were a little tense as they ordered and ate because it was obvious Courfeyrac knew something was up with Feuilly and, unlike Jehan who just seemed to accept it and not push, Marius knew Courfeyrac wasn't one to let go until he got the answers he wanted. And he didn't know Feuilly that well, but he had a good idea that Feuilly wasn't likely to give out any information he _didn't _want to, so they were probably going to be at an impasse.

They were almost finished eating when Jehan's phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it with a sigh. "I need to run. Family things," he said, sliding the phone back and standing before he pulled his wallet out.

"Family things with Enjolras?" Courfeyrac inquired and Jehan nodded.

"Yeah, his parents are bothering him again so I guess I'm being called in for moral support," he shrugged and put some money on the table. "That should cover both of ours," he gestured to Feuilly.

"Jehan, no."

"Yes, now don't be stubborn. And we'll come to yours when we're done, okay?" he asked Courfeyrac, who nodded. "Enjolras wants to see you, too," he added to Feuilly before shouldering his satchel and walking out of the café. Marius had a sudden realization that he was actually going to meet Enjolras _today _before he realized that it was probably a good thing.

"He's hopeless," Feuilly sighed.

"But you can't say no to him, and he knows it," Courfeyrac teased gently, getting a small grin from the other man. "So. You might not be telling Jehan why you've been absent lately, but I think you owe me an explanation…"

"This isn't happening," Feuilly decided, and while his voice was still pitched low there was something sinister in his tone.

"I'm worried about you. You never disappear like that and now I find out that somehow you know Marius and you live in the same fucking _building? _There's something going on, and I'm going to find out what it is. Just…please tell me you're not in trouble," he looked genuinely concerned, his eyes darting from Marius to Feuilly and back again.

"I'm not in trouble. I mean…not with the law or anything. It's complicated," Feuilly settled on and Marius thought that 'complicated' was putting it far too lightly. "Don't worry."

"Tell me," Courfeyrac prompted quietly. "If it's a secret, you know I'm capable of keeping it…"

"Don't worry about it," Feuilly was obviously losing patience, his hands curled tightly around the mug of coffee he was holding, but Courfeyrac had a glint in his eye that plainly said he wasn't going to back down so easily.

"I'll ask Marius. He'll tell me…"

"He wouldn't dare."

"So he _does _know!" Courfeyrac looked wounded now and, yeah, he was a pretty good actor, too. "So you'll tell somebody you barely know but you won't tell _me."_

"I…" Marius cleared his throat, because the last thing he wanted was for this to somehow devolve into a pointless argument. "I…is it…okay if we tell him? I mean, you and I…we don't really have the…ins that he does…" he said haltingly and Feuilly's gaze was dangerous when it was turned on him.

"No, you're right," he said after a moment. "We need to get you in somehow, and while Enjolras and I are on good terms his parents don't think much of their son being close with, you know, a peasant. Same with Bahorel, and his team won't let you be around him until he trusts you, but…" he turned to Courfeyrac. "They do with you, right?"

"Yeah, you know it's all about money and family name with them and I've got both. Not in the way that Jehan does, but I've known Enjolras since he was young so…wait, why are we talking about Enjolras?" he asked curiously, and Marius watched as Feuilly looked around suspiciously before deciding there was nobody in earshot and leaning forward to explain.

000

"Fucking shit," was all Courfeyrac could say as they walked down the street, his eyes wider than normal and his steps a little halting. "You're going to get yourself killed, you know that?"

"I don't have a choice," Feuilly replied angrily. "And I only told you because I know you can help us, so please don't give me some righteous speech," he jammed his hands in his pockets and sped up, leaving Courfeyrac and Marius trailing behind.

"I'm sorry if I…maybe I shouldn't have…" Marius started but Courfeyrac waved his apology off.

"It's fine, he'll come around. I knew something had to be up, because I've known him for…since high school, I guess. He was just some kid on the street and I don't know why I decided that I needed to help him but I just…I _felt _it, you know, and so I bought him coffee one day and then lunch and we…kind of became friends that way. So maybe he feels like he owes me, even though I was probably seventeen and didn't do half of what I could have, but eventually the others met him and Enjolras mostly used his influence to get him odd jobs and he's…he's doing okay for himself, even though he's got such a stubborn streak that he barely accepts any charity," he looked proud regardless, although his face fell a moment later. "I mean, he _was_ doing well until now, but this…Marius, you know how dangerous this is, right?"

"I don't know that I have a choice either, though," Marius admitted hesitantly. "I mean, I can't run now, and I…if it keeps people safe in the end, if it saves that girl I met the first night and her family from living with parents who couldn't care less about them, I have to do it."

"You're a good man," Courfeyrac put his arm around Marius again and pulled him closer. "But a word of warning about Enjolras: he's incredibly guarded, he's very frosty to people he doesn't know, and it's going to take a _lot _for him to warm up to you so I'll try to do what I can to let him know that you can be trusted."

"Even though I can't?" Marius asked softly, and Courfeyrac squeezed him in a sideways hug.

"Of course you can," Courfeyrac sounded so utterly sure that Marius decided to drop the subject, and by this time they'd arrived at the familiar building he'd once called home. "Feeling better?" Courfeyrac asked Feuilly, who was standing outside the front door and staring up at the sky.

"Hardly. I shouldn't be around any of you too much because it would blow my cover, but I think it's going to be harder trying to pretend I'm not on your side in all of this," he stiffened when Courfeyrac embraced him, and Marius wondered if he was that unused to being hugged or if he was just so carefully guarded that he never let himself be held.

"Relax, you know you're safe with us," Courfeyrac murmured just loud enough for Marius to hear, and Feuilly did, minutely, his fingers curled into Courfeyrac's coat as they stood there. "Good. And anyway, if you're supposed to have us thinking you're loyal to us, won't it make more sense for you to be around?"

"Maybe, but they have to believe the same thing," Feuilly replied as Courfeyrac unlocked the front door and they all entered, moving over to the elevator and riding it up to the floor where Courfeyrac's place was.

000

"Got everything?"

"Yeah, I think so," Marius stuffed the rest of his belongings into a spare suitcase he'd still had in the closet, and seeing his whole life reduced to that and the duffel bag he'd taken the first night was kind of depressing. "Thanks for letting me pick it up."

"Marius," Courfeyrac looked at him as if he were insane to be saying that, and maybe he was, but it still felt warranted. "Please, if I had my way you'd both be living here instead of in that shithole of a place where you're getting involved with gang plots."

"Maybe when this is all over with," Marius laughed, trying to sound unconcerned, even though a rather large part of him was wishing that he _hadn't _moved.

There was a knock on the door then and he straightened up, stiffening because this was it, he was finally going to meet Enjolras and everything from here on out depended on him not screwing this up. Courfeyrac opened the door and Jehan walked in, followed by the man that Marius had seen on the front page of the paper the day before.

If anything, he was even more stunning in person, and he just had this…_presence _that filled the room and damn near took Marius' breath away. He looked too perfect to be real, some sort of angel who'd lost his wings and was doomed to live out his life on the earth, and that was altogether too poetic for Marius' normal train of thought so he angrily shook it away.

He had to befriend this man, not become infatuated with him.

"I hear your parents are being grade-A dicks again?" Courfeyrac closed the door and Enjolras nodded, crossing his arms and looking completely composed.

"What else is new? They want me to attend the grand opening of their newest condominium and I told them I had no reason to be there because I'm not some show-pony they can parade out whenever the mood strikes them. They didn't take that too well and they brought up…well, you know," he rolled his eyes and Courfeyrac nodded like he _did _know, even though Marius had no idea what that could be about. "So guess who's going to the opening tomorrow?"

"I tried to help," Jehan said meekly and Enjolras nodded at the other man.

"He did. My parents may respect yours, Jehan, but I don't think they have much respect for _you, _unfortunately."

"Because I'm not interested in business or making money, I know. The arts, in my opinion, are a much more noble profession regardless," he turned on his heel and went to go sit on the living room couch.

"Where's your entourage?" Courfeyrac asked curiously. Enjolras shrugged and jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

"Waiting in the hall. I'm a grown man, I don't need bodyguards tailing me like I'm some sort of celebrity. If my parents wanted me to be inconspicuous, having men in black follow me everywhere is missing the point," he sounded horribly bitter but Marius couldn't fault him for it. "Besides, they have no reason to worry when I'm with all of you."

"Your parents don't think much of me," Feuilly turned from looking out the window then, and Marius saw the first real flicker of positive emotion cross Enjolras' face at the sight of him. "Hey."

"My parents, as we've already established several times over, are narrow-minded and consider money more important than being a good person. You've got them beat several times over in the second category," he walked across the floor and clasped Feuilly's shoulder firmly, which Marius surmised was probably a pretty large show of affection from what he knew. "You're okay?"

"I'm fine. I'll be around more from now on, I was just…sorting out some personal things," he replied, and Marius thought that it wasn't exactly a lie but still, Feuilly was apparently rather masterful at keeping a straight face even when he wasn't telling the entire truth.

"Good. You're always welcome. And you must be Marius," he turned and held out his hand, Marius reaching forward and shaking it firmly while he tried not to be intimidated because having that piercing gaze turned on him was more than a little disconcerting.

"I am. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Enjolras assured him, and he was almost smiling now. "And I have to tell you to disregard everything Courfeyrac's told me about you because I'm not nearly as frightening a person as he always tells people I am."

"Good to know," Marius laughed nervously, but there was something…calming about being near Enjolras; the man practically radiated self-assuredness and confidence, he was somebody who knew who he was and wasn't ashamed of it, and Marius could only admire that. "I don't know if your, um, guards will approve of me…"

"Your grandfather's name, what is it?"

"Oh, um, Gillenormand," Marius replied quickly.

"Well, he's got enough money, from what I hear, and your father…Pontmercy…he served in the army, didn't he?"

"Yeah," Marius nodded in agreement.

"Well, the grandson of a wealthy man and the son of a war hero, I think my parents will approve," he was obviously making light of everything and Marius felt immediately at ease, his shoulders dropping a little because maybe getting close to Enjolras wouldn't be an impossible task after all. "To be honest, I don't care whether they do or not. I choose my friends because _I _like them, not because they do."

"Try telling them that," Courfeyrac plopped himself beside Jehan and leaned against the other man's side.

"Oh, believe me, I have," Enjolras rolled his eyes and then frowned when something buzzed from his pocket. "Those are my guards. They get antsy if I don't check in with them every fifteen minutes or so, and especially since they don't know exactly who I'm in here with. So I'd better go before they decide to all come up here," he sighed and gave the room at large a tiny smile. "Wait, give me your number," he gestured to Marius, who stammered a little before doing so, and Enjolras nodded in thanks. "I'll get in touch with you somehow and maybe we can talk somewhere where I'm not on a time limit."

"Yeah," Marius agreed, a little grateful that at least this part of the…plan had gone well (and then he immediately felt guilty for thinking about it as a plan, even though in essence that's what it was and he had to accept that).

Enjolras swept out then, and the room was silent before Courfeyrac looked toward Marius. "That went well."

"Yeah, I guess," Marius shrugged and wheeled his suitcase over to the door. There was really no rush, though, so he left it there and went to sit on Courfeyrac's other side, a pretty large part of him now wishing that he'd never left this place at all.

000

A couple of days later he was at the coffee shop Bahorel had first taken him to, getting a sandwich and a cup of coffee for lunch when his eye was drawn to the newspaper so he grabbed a copy and went to sit in the back corner.

There were pictures on the front page from what he assumed was the condo opening Enjolras had talked about, once again of his parents and another one of Enjolras walking arm-in-arm with a rather pretty woman, auburn-haired and looking at him with a smile on her face. Marius had never heard anything about him having a girlfriend but it was obvious that was what she was, and he must have said something aloud because he heard a scuffling beside the table and a low voice replied, "She's not his girlfriend."

"What?" he looked up in surprise, seeing a man standing beside his table. He looked rather typically bohemian, scruffy and wearing a beanie that almost covered his dark hair. He was wearing short sleeves even though the weather wasn't that warm, but both his arms were covered in what looked like full-sleeve tattoos of twining grapevines.

"That girl. She's not his girlfriend," he repeated, looking down at Marius and there was a hint of warmth in his eyes, which flickered between hazel and gold in the light of the restaurant.

"He…"

"Trust me, he's not interested in women," the man seemed to take this as an invitation and dropped into the chair opposite Marius, a mug of something in his hand that was giving off an odor much stronger than regular coffee.

"O…kay? How do you…"

"Because," the man leaned forward with a grin on his lips, "once upon a time, he and I were lovers."

**Notes:**

**1.** I need to stop getting distracted by other fandoms and work more on this fic, but I've got another two-ish chapters written so hopefully I can get more done soon :)

**2. **Thanks again to everybody who's commented!


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Make Me Feel Alive  
**Author:** AoiTsukikage  
**Rating:** T for now, may increase  
**Characters/Pairing:** Enjolras/Marius primarily, other secondary pairings  
**Chapters:** 4/?  
**Word Count:** 2776  
**Summary:** All Marius wanted was a place for himself and a chance to live life on his own terms. Ending up in the middle of a greed-fueled kidnapping plot was never part of the plan. Enjolras/Marius, modern!AU, Amis-centric.

**Chapter Four**

Marius responded to this by choking on his coffee, and by the time his coughing fit had eased a little he still wasn't any farther ahead with figuring this out. "Excuse me?" he squeaked, although shaking the hand that was thrust at him was second nature and he did it before thinking about how there was something weird about this whole thing.

"You're Marius."

"Yeah," Marius was kind of used to strangers knowing who he was so this didn't faze him any longer, but he still had questions. Not that it was a problem if Enjolras was gay, of course. Marius had never really thought too much about sexuality but that didn't mean he was going to judge anybody else for who they were sleeping with.

"My name's Grantaire. Bahorel told me what's going on," Grantaire looked serious and a little unhappy at that, and Marius bit his lip and took another sip of his coffee, trying to maintain his dignity this time around.

"I thought nobody was supposed to know…"

"Look, maybe you don't know Bahorel that well yet, but he doesn't play by the rules. Ever. I think that's why he's survived so long and still managed to not really have anybody that's too pissed off at him," he laughed, taking a sip of his no-doubt alcohol-laced coffee. "Anyway, if you're trying to get close to him, I know more about him than anybody else."

"…Yeah," Marius said haltingly. "Sorry, I just, I've only met him once but you don't seem…"

"Like his type?" Grantaire guessed, and Marius nodded because this tattooed hipster-esque man sitting in front of him seemed so far removed from Enjolras' rigidity and formality that he couldn't fathom them being together. "Maybe I'm not. I mean, I used to think he hated me, but eventually I realized he just didn't understand me. Something about wasting all my potential by pretending not to care about anything, except I'm not pretending," he sounded far more bitter now and Marius didn't want to head down that road.

"But you and he…"

"Yes, for a while. Once we saw eye-to-eye there was some attraction there and, well," he spread his hands. "I think we both knew it wasn't going to be a forever thing, but everything kind of fell apart pretty quickly when his parents walked in on us, you know, in a compromising position," he laughed and suddenly the pieces all clicked in Marius' head. The thing they'd been talking about the other day, the way Enjolras' parents were bribing him to get him to attend all of these openings, it had to be related somehow.

"So this girl…"

"She's actually the girlfriend of one of our other friends, so there's no chance of hurt feelings anywhere. But I think he feels like his parents are holding this over his head somehow," Grantaire looked slightly guilty at that. "I mean, he's an only son and it's his job to provide an heir for the family name, and I know his parents don't think highly of homosexuality anyway so this is a way to make sure word never gets out and he has the appearance of a man who's got his life on-track," he scratched the back of his neck and gulped down the rest of his drink.

"Are you…is it okay you're telling me all this?" Marius inquired.

"Yeah. Obviously he can't know that I did, but if you're going to get close to him you need to know as much as possible. Just…know that if anything happens to him and you're responsible, I will find a way to make your life fucking miserable," his voice was pitched low and his eyes were dark, and Marius gulped and shifted his chair back a few inches. "I still love him. I'll always love him. Just because we're not meant to be together forever doesn't change that, and we're still friends. Although I kind of miss the sex," he sighed and Marius laughed nervously and a little too loudly, but for as okay as he was with the idea of two men together he really didn't want to think about the specifics.

"I promise, I'm not going to do anything to hurt him. I want all of us out of this as much as anybody," he vowed and Grantaire studied him closely before nodding in apparent understanding.

"Well, good. I think we understand each other, then. I need more booze, so I'm gonna go do that, and I'm sure I'll see you around," he clapped Marius on the shoulder and wandered back to the counter, loudly demanding a refill (Marius had no idea this place was even licensed to sell alcohol but, well, who was he to question that?).

Apparently Marius' life was destined to just get crazier by the day, and he still wasn't sure how to process all of that.

000

"Sorry if he kind of sprung himself on you. He's got strange whims sometimes," Bahorel was walking him to a 'meeting' with Enjolras, which all sounded so suspect and covert and Marius still wasn't quite convinced he hadn't landed in some elaborate reality-style spy movie.

"I'm just a little overwhelmed because I keep being told nobody can know and more and more people end up knowing," Marius admitted, stuffing his hands in his pockets and nearly falling on his ass when something collided with his legs. "Woah!"

"Sorry!" the kid, for that was what it was, said. He couldn't have been more than ten or eleven, all wild energy and mischievous eyes, and he latched onto Bahorel's leg and looked up at him adoringly.

"Hey, bud," Bahorel patted the kid on top of his head. "Marius, you know Eponine, right? This is her brother."

"Gavroche," the boy replied, holding out a tiny hand that Marius shook solemnly. "You're the guy who lives upstairs?"

"Yeah," Marius nodded. "It's nice to meet you."

"Mom and Dad were throwing things again so I left. I don't think they know I'm alive sometimes," he pouted before tugging on Bahorel's hand and leading him down the street.

"He's got a case of hero-worship for me and I don't know why, but it's kind of endearing," Bahorel said in an undertone, although Marius had to admit that somebody as outwardly physically imposing as Bahorel being led around by a kid was a strange sight to behold. "Anyway, I'd rather he hang out with me than at home with his parents, so I don't mind."

"Yeah, they seem like two real pieces of work," Marius reminded himself that he was doing all of this in part to help out three kids who really needed it, and that made him feel slightly better about all of it. Just slightly, though.

"Well, we're here. Enjoy your lunch," Bahorel waved and wandered away, Gavroche clinging to his sleeve now, and Marius shook his head at the picture they made before pushing the door open.

"Marius!" Enjolras half-stood from his seat to wave and Marius hurried over, quickly scanning the menu and giving a nearby waiter his order before seating himself in the free chair and staring at three more people he'd never seen before (this was becoming a rather common trend in his life these days). "Sorry about all of this, but it's the only way my parents will let me be by myself, and even then, my guards are only about a block away. But introductions: this is Combeferre," he pointed to a shorter man with glasses, wavy brown hair and brown eyes, "Joly," a taller brunette with dark blue eyes who was rather nervously twining a handkerchief between his hands, "and Bossuet," a man who, despite his apparent youth, was completely bald, although he looked cheerful as he nodded to Marius. "Guys, this is Marius."

"So wait, we don't get to meet the guy while he's living with Courfeyrac but as soon as he moves out we do?" Bossuet rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "That makes a _lot _of sense."

"Be nice," Joly told him sternly. "I'm sorry, Marius, I'd shake your hand but I seem to be coming down with symptoms of a very deadly and very rare form of avian flu and I wouldn't want to contaminate you…"

"But you'll contaminate me, I see how it is," Bossuet sniffed and Marius looked at Enjolras fearfully.

"Joly's a hypochondriac. He's as healthy as a horse and I don't think he's ever had so much as a cold. Just ignore it, he'll feel better in ten minutes," Combeferre whispered and Marius turned to him gratefully, glad that _somebody _here seemed, well, mostly sane. "It's nice to meet you. Courfeyrac adores you and from what I hear Enjolras has no issues with you and for him that's a big deal," he added, causing Marius to laugh quietly.

"All of you make me out to be some sort of ogre," Enjolras grumbled, glowering down at the tablecloth. "I know I'm a pampered rich kid who wouldn't last a day in the real world. but that's not by my choice at all, and I know I come off as snappy and emotionally stilted because of it but please stop scaring people off before they actually get to know me," he sounded like he was just…tired of it all, and Marius felt bad for him.

"Actually we just do it because we know it pisses you off," Bossuet corrected him. "But you're scary when you get angry."

"I try not to get angry often because of it," Enjolras responded, his tone perfectly measured. "And most of the time I wish I'd have a little more leeway to actually do things because I want to. I'm an adult now and the fact that my parents still think they can plan my life down to the second is frustrating, to say the least," he sat up a little straighter as their food arrived and Marius could see in that moment what people had warned him about, because while he was perfectly polite to their waiter, his actions and words were stilted and nearly robotic and to the casual observer he would look like a virtual portrait of cool indifference.

"Have you talked to them about it?" Marius asked carefully, because he wasn't sure if he was nearly close enough yet to be privy to any private information (even though he did, upon reflection, know a lot about Enjolras).

"Of course I have, but I…" he stopped and looked around. "Not that I think you're going to go…blab this to people, but it has to stay a secret," there was an assurance to his gaze that strongly implied if Marius _didn't _keep it a secret things wouldn't be pleasant for him, and Marius wondered just how many people had threatened him in the past few days because it did seem like a lot already.

"Okay," he nodded quickly.

"Right. Well. I'm…I'm gay, and my parents found out in probably the worst way they could, and since then they've made it even more painfully clear that I'm not to put a foot out of line because I suppose ruining the family name is more devastating to them than their son being unhappy for his entire life," he frowned, picking up his fork and poking at his salad.

"I still haven't quite figured out why you can't just say 'fuck 'em' and go live life your own way. You don't owe them anything," Bossuet put in and Marius had to admit that he had a point.

"I know, but they're still my parents, and without them I literally have nothing and I…maybe I'm a coward, but I like knowing that, even if it's not the life I want, at least I'm going to _have _one that's comfortable and safe to live," he didn't sound happy, but Marius could appreciate where he was coming from. Sure, he'd made the choice to cut himself off willingly, but it wasn't as if his grandfather had been in charge of his every move for the past twenty years. "And besides, my parents are so well-known that the story would be in the paper the next day and nobody would look at me for fear of incurring their wrath. So I'm stuck," he shrugged helplessly.

"Wait, yesterday there was a picture of you in the paper with this girl…" Marius decided it didn't hurt to say that much because, he figured, it would be something any person not in the know would ask about.

"Just a sham to make it seem like I have everything in order. She's Joly's girlfriend," he half-smiled and Joly nodded, still staring at the handkerchief he was holding.

"Yes, and she doesn't mind, although sometimes the way she talks about you worries me. Or it would, if you had any interest in girls," he laughed, seemingly no longer fearing death by whatever horrible disease he'd just been afflicted with, and Combeferre leaned forward and mouthed 'see?' to Marius who had to hide his own smile at that.

"My sexuality isn't a problem, is it?" Enjolras was directing this toward Marius and Marius couldn't help but feel it was some sort of test.

"No, of course not."

"Good," Enjolras seemed to consider this the end of that conversation and Marius was grateful that, so far at least, he was saying all the right things.

000

His sleep that night was shattered by the sound of a gunshot ripping through the night sky, followed by two more in quick succession as he yelped and rolled out of bed. He wasn't quite sure why he ran up to the roof, especially when he had no idea where the trouble was happening, but he was up there shivering under a thin coat before he could tell himself what a bad idea it was.

The streets looked empty but mere seconds later sirens blared through the air and he could see an ambulance tearing down the street, stopping a couple of blocks over although it was too far away to see anything of what was happening.

"You're going to have to get used to that."

He looked behind him at Feuilly, who was yawning and sleep-rumpled, wearing a t-shirt that was splotched with paint and rubbing his arms against the cold air.

"Does that happen often?"

"Yeah. Once it happened right outside the front door," there was something haunted in his glance that Marius didn't want to ask about, so he kept quiet. "Regret moving here?"

"More every day," he said truthfully, and Feuilly moved beside him and stared out at the streets with him. "But I keep thinking that if…if all of this does even a little bit of good…"

"You're taking this in far more stride than more people would," Feuilly mentioned, and Marius realized that it was kind of true. He hadn't really had a breakdown over it yet even though he'd been literally inundated with facts and faces and names and information, but then, he _had _moved to seek a new life and new experiences and, for better or worse, that was what he'd gotten.

"Maybe it hasn't all sunk in yet," he admitted.

"Well, I think you've met all of us now, right? So at least that part should be over," Feuilly nudged him with his elbow and Marius nodded.

"I think so. I met Grantaire this morning and then Combeferre and Joly and Bossuet at lunch, so…is that everybody?" he asked, a little hopefully because it was more than enough, and Feuilly nodded.

"Yeah, that's all of us. So Bahorel tells me Grantaire knows?"

"He kind of threatened me if anything happened to Enjolras. And then Enjolras threatened me if anybody found out about his sexuality. So…" he ducked his head because he realized how bad all of that sounded.

"You're fine," Feuilly patted his back. "Grantaire knowing isn't a bad thing, either; he's…interesting, but if it comes to Enjolras he's got his best interests at heart," he said firmly. He shivered again, then, tucking his hands under his armpits and hunching over a little.

"God, you must be freezing. Is it safe to go to bed now?"

"Hopefully. Usually there's not more than one gunfight per night," Feuilly nodded toward the stairs and they went back inside, stopping by Marius' door. "Well, good night."

"Yeah. Sleep well," Marius clapped the other man's shoulder before going back into his suite, stripping off his jacket and collapsing onto the bed.

He barely had enough time to worry about how easily he'd be able to fall back asleep before he _was _asleep, so the answer was apparently 'very easily' after all.

**Notes:**

**1. **I'm so sorry about the lateness of this update; I've had this chapter written for over a month but since I can't seem to write any more I wanted to hold off until I had some in reserve, but…that wasn't working. So I've got one more chapter completed and then I don't know when another update will come. It's so strange because I have ideas for this story and I know where it's going, but when I try to write it out nothing's sounding right and I hope that changes soon.


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